If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

Autumn goes and winter comes.

The first snow fell in the imperial city, and the fine snowflakes drifted down, covering the blue tiles with a thin layer of frost.

The streets, however, were bustling with activity, a stark contrast to the slightly chilly weather.

Brand-new signs and novel hawking cries rose and fell along the long street.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Today's Royal Daily News headline: The first Royal Chamber of Commerce and Industry is officially established, and the Commercial Tax Law has been redefined!"

"Next year's goal is for everyone to have enough food and a house!"

"The Royal Engineering Corps is hiring! Excellent pay, first come, first served!"

"Buckingham Foot Bath Restaurant is now open! Top up nine taels of silver and get one tael free!"

The pedestrians on the street were all smiling, full of hope for the future.

Inside the Buckingham Foot Bath Restaurant, the warmth emanating from the exquisite fireplace dispelled the chill in the restaurant.

The image of women of various colors paired with sandalwood evokes a sense of romance and wonder.

Several richly dressed merchants were slumped in soft sofas, with beautiful maids massaging their feet. Their faces showed a mixture of surprise and enjoyment.

"This sofa is so comfortable. I don't know what it's made of. It's so soft that it makes your bones feel like they're melting."

"Cotton, I heard, is a rare commodity found on the grasslands of the Wolf Kingdom, and now it is only available in the imperial city."

"These cotton seeds are controlled by the Liang royal family. Otherwise, we would definitely get some back and resell them to other countries for a sky-high price."

"What a pity, what a pity."

The group clicked their tongues, all feeling they had missed out on a big business opportunity.

One of them put down his teacup, intrigued.

"It's strange, really. Rumor has it that a month ago, around autumn, the Great Liang was not like this."

"It's not just a rumor; I received a letter from a friend in the capital of Liang. That day was truly thrilling!"

Upon hearing this, the group became interested and leaned closer to listen attentively.

The man didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "You know there used to be five great families in the Great Liang Dynasty, right?"

Several people nodded.

"Among the five great families, the Li and Lu families were the established five great families at the time, and the other was the newly emerging Zhang family. These three families joined forces to force the Emperor of Liang to abdicate in the imperial court!"

"hiss!"

"A coup! No way?"

Everyone was startled.

The man got excited and said, "What do you mean, 'no'? Back then, all the people of Daliang knew about it. The emperor even lost and divided the country among the powerful families."

"That's not right. If that's the case, why are all the people of Daliang praising the Emperor of Daliang?"

The man whispered, "That's what makes the Emperor of Liang so shrewd. The coup happened in the morning, but the powerful families didn't get involved until the evening. My friend said the Emperor hosted a banquet, lured those powerful families in, and then killed them all!"

"Hiss hiss~"

Everyone was astonished.

A portly businessman was deeply moved.

"A week ago, my cousin came back from Daliang, excitedly telling me all sorts of stories about this place. I didn't believe him at the time. I thought Daliang was just spreading rumors to compete for the title of 'Merchant World'."

Having seen it today, I can see that its reputation is well-deserved. The title of "Merchant Under Heaven" truly belongs to the Great Liang Dynasty.

Everyone nodded in agreement, becoming even more curious about the new emperor with his extraordinary abilities.

Before long, the group finished their service, paid, and left.

The owner of the foot massage parlor smiled behind the counter, his hands clicking away on the abacus, and he sighed inwardly.

"The emperor won, and life has truly improved."

In just one month, the entire imperial city was transformed.

The historians recorded that bloody night a month earlier as "the night of the destruction of the aristocratic families."

Since that night, Zhao Yu has been implementing sweeping reforms, pushing forward a series of new policies at an unprecedented pace.

The economy, people's livelihoods, and even various crafts and skills are recovering and growing at an incredible speed.

The entrance to a foot massage parlor.

A carriage made entirely of black lacquered nanmu wood slowly drove by.

A slender hand lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing Zhao Yu's face.

But a playful smile was on his face.

Looking out at the bustling street scene, Zhao Yu, inside the carriage, spoke to the driver:

"The capital city has become quite lively, even more so than any other city."

The fat man driving the car replied respectfully:

"Young master, it seems that the dog you keep has not only gotten fat, but has also developed wild instincts. Its behavior over the past month is not what an obedient dog should be doing."

Inside the car, Zhao Yu chuckled softly, as if sighing:

"Who would have thought that a stray dog ​​picked up by the roadside could not only quell the war but also kill several powerful families? It's quite interesting."

His tone was nonchalant, yet it revealed a deep-seated contempt.

The fat man driving the car, Dahai, looked worried.

"Young master, it's best to be careful. This dog has grown powerful now, controlling the Imperial Guards, and the civil officials in the court have been reorganized. If we're not cautious..."

He didn't say what he was going to say, but the meaning was obvious.

The smile on the man's face vanished, replaced by a cold expression.

He lowered the carriage curtain, losing interest in the outside world, and uttered a single sentence:

"No matter how capable he is, what's fake can't become real, and what's real can't become fake."

"Let's go, it's time to retrieve the backup plan I left behind. It's also time to let this stray dog ​​understand who the real master of this territory is."

The carriage wheels crunched over the thin layer of snow, making a soft rustling sound, before merging into the flow of traffic and disappearing at the end of the long street.

As Zhao Yu recalled the prosperous Great Liang he had witnessed on his journey, a greedy glint appeared in his eyes. He thought to himself, "Great Liang, your king has returned!!!"

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

Zhao Yu put down the last memorial concerning the improvement of new agricultural tools and let out a long breath.

It's finally all approved.

During this month, he truly experienced the hardships of ancient emperors. He had to review mountains of memorials all by himself, which was exhausting.

He had long wanted to implement a cabinet system, but unfortunately, he had personally cut half of the available personnel in the court. Reconstructing the bureaucratic system would take time, which is why it had been delayed again and again.

Fortunately, it's about time.

He rubbed his throbbing temples and spoke softly to the empty hall.

"Alright, come out now."